The Problem Store: Shipping Sherpas

The shipping landscape is shifting in ways that demand attention from every supply chain leader. Shrinking carrier capacity, rising surcharges, and a freight recession stretching three years have created a market where old assumptions no longer hold and rate floors are moving in ways many shippers haven't accounted for. In this inaugural episode of The Problem Store on Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton speaks with Jack Mowreader, a veteran CFO who has served in the role five times and spent six years in Amazon operations finance, LeAnne Coulter, former executive at Penske Logistics and Schneider Logistics who now leads Blue Wave Supply Chain, and Nate Skiver, founder of LPF Spend Management. They structure the conversation across four segments covering the macros, the setup, the operation, and the enablers, exploring how capacity constraints, parcel surcharge complexity, network design, relationships between shippers and carriers, and the accelerating pace of change are reshaping what shippers need to be doing right now. Jack, LeAnne, and Nate also weigh in on where AI can genuinely improve shipping decisions, from invoice auditing and scenario simulation to compressing the time from analysis to action. They challenge shippers to walk their own processes, question legacy carrier strategies, form carrier councils, invest in the driver experience, and treat transportation strategy as supply chain strategy rather than an afterthought. Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Introduction (03:30) Meet Jack Mowreader, LeAnne Coulter, and Nate Skiver (05:48) The biggest problems in shipping: capacity, risk, and the pace of change (07:39) Labor pressures, fuel costs, and what shippers can't control (20:15) Network design and avoiding single points of failure (27:01) Shipper of choice and building carrier relationships that last (35:16) The operation: resourcing, process design, and trade offs (42:33) The three legged stool: balancing cost, service, and resilience (52:23) AI in shipping: where it helps and where human judgment stays essential (58:34) The Billy Bob hypothetical and how to connect with the panel Additional Links & Resources: Connect with Jack Mowreader: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmowreader/ Connect with Nate Skiver: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levelplayingfield/ Connect with LeAnne Coulter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannecoulter/ Upcoming Live Programming: https://supplychainnow.com/upcoming-live-programming/ Supply Chain Now Resource Hub: https://supplychainnow.com/resource-hub/ Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk Learn more about Blue Yonder Cognitive Solutions: http://blueyonder.com/cognitive Learn more about M.F.G.inc’s Frontline Leadership Certificate: MFG.inc/training WEBINAR- Detect, decide, deliver: improving disruption response across the supply chain: https://bit.ly/4rXhmiI WEBINAR- Planning Your 2027 AI Strategy: 5 Research-Backed Best Practices: https://bit.ly/4z1LM5r WEBINAR- Merck Animal Health's Journey to Rewiring Planning for Reliability, Agility and Trust: https://bit.ly/4B6Iq3f This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/problem-store-shipping-sherpas-1655 The content in this episode, including all audio, videos, visuals, and graphics, is the property of Supply Chain Now and is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or re-uploading of this content in any form is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from Supply Chain Now. For licensing inquiries or permissions, please contact us at production@supplychainnow.com © 2026 Supply Chain Now. All rights reserved. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.